A terrific campground within Great Smoky Mountain National Park. A creek runs right through the…read moremiddle. Good walking access to several great trails. I love that there are quiet hours (10pm-6am), that generator use is even more restrictive (only daily 8-8), and if that isn't enough, there are tent-only sites available as well. So it's pretty well guaranteed to be peaceful. I think we hiked about 20 miles over the course of a couple of days and I know I spotted two types of mushrooms from our campsite that I hadn't seen on any of the other trails. Pick your day(s) and site number at recreation.gov. Easy access by car. Running water and flush toilets, but no showers. Good tent pads. Three handicapped-accessible ADA sites have 5 amp electrical service for use of medical equipment.

My husband and I really enjoyed our two night stay at Elkmont Campgrounds! We were in the L loop…read moreand we loved how peaceful it was. I definitely recommend researching or calling about the features of each loop before booking. After walking about a bit, we were even more pleased with our site in comparison to some of the others. The riverside campsites seem to go the fastest! If that's something that interest you, book early! All the staff we interacted with during our stay were extremely pleasant. The campgrounds were really safe and we have zero complaints. We'll definitely be back!

We were just here for a week. It is such a little gem. The price is great. The grounds are very…read morewell cared for the restrooms are very nice. High water pressure. We had a big bear come through camp one day, which was really cool to see and the workers there are super nice people.

My sister and I stayed in a Treehouse and we loved it! I carefully read the website in advance of…read morebooking and knew what to expect. Everything in the unit was beautifully appointed and super clean. We enjoyed the campfire area with picnic table and didn't have any bear visits (that we know of, anyway). The campground facilities are immaculate and the shop offers just about anything one might need. The laundry facilities are well-lit and conveniently located next to the shower area. Although we did not use the pool, it looked inviting for a hot summer day and would be a blast for kids. The on-site vintage campers are adorable and may try one of the glamping tents next time. We enjoyed chatting with everyone at the front desk and look forward to returning yearly.

Skypark gives you scenic views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding countryside. Nestled right…read moredowntown, the Skyview Chairlift takes you up to the hillside overlooking downtown Gatlinburg. Scenic views from Skypark abound and their is the Skyview Bridge which is a fun experience for children and adults alike. Built in 1954, the Gatlinburg Skylift is the oldest attraction in Gatlinburg. Originally a one seat attraction it was updated shortly after as a two seater, and now seats three people. Come to visit this wonderful attraction in the heart of Gatlinburg.

We very much enjoyed our experience at the Gatlinburg SkyPark…read more We bought an unlimited pass, which allows you unlimited rides up and down the mountain. The ride is beautiful and serene. We loved it! Once at the top, we took the skybridge over to an area where you can get a beverage and snack and take in the views. The skybridge is an experience itself. A warning to folks who get vertigo, the bridge is high and in the middle, it's glass bottomed. Very cool for those who don't have a fear of heights, but I did see a couple people struggling once they got to the glass bottom portion. I enjoyed every step. Once at the top, we grabbed a couple of beers and sat in Adirondacks overlooking the valley below. We could have hung out taking in the views all afternoon (and pretty much did). We loved our experience here. It was early spring so it wasn't overly busy but the weather was pitch perfect (80s with a breeze and low humidity--yes, please). Get to it!

Stunning. The Great…read moreSmoky Mountains National Park officially ties with Yosemite as my two favorite national parks in the US. I love everything about this beautiful area of our country. We were there in early spring and enjoyed stunning weather, blooming wild flowers, and bear sightings a-plenty. We also were there when the dogwoods were blooming and there are dogwood trees throughout the park--it was stunning. We enjoyed driving around the park, hiking, and stopping at various points of interest. We were also able to take an accessible hike up a paved trail to the highest point in the park, which was amazing. My eyes seriously just could not get enough of all the gorgeous nature to be enjoyed here. Top notch. Get to it!

Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been on my bucket list for many years. I was hoping that…read morespring break would be down season at the Park, but the Park was busy!!! We had a fabulous visit to this vast natural wonder. We learned that Park is the largest natural habitat in the continental U.S. The signature "smoky" appearance of the mountains is caused by an evaporation of organic rich moisture released by the vegetation within the Park. We started our visit by stopping at the visitors center to pick up a parking permit ($5/day) and maps ($1). I was glad we picked up maps because there is very little internet connectivity in the park, so we lost our navigation tools. The leaves were not on the trees yet (April) so we had magnificent uninterrupted views of the mountains and skylines. Spring wild flowers were in bloom. And we actually saw a mother bear with two cubs crossing the road. Each day during our visit we explored a different part of the park. We hiked to waterfalls and enjoyed scenic overlooks. We enjoyed exploring historic cabins and cemeteries. Popular sites were crowded and sometimes we had to wait for parking. Plan to arrive early. The park is filled with parking areas to pull off and enjoy the views or hike. Rest areas are available at many of the major sites. Leased dogs are only allowed in camping and parking areas and on two of the many trails. Bring good walking shoes, a hiking stick is helpful, water and sun glasses. You probably need to bring snacks, but keep those secure from wildlife.

We love Anakeesta, especially in the fall during their Bear Variam Festival (highly recommend you…read moreget a beer tour passport if you are a beer/cider drinker). We've gone two years in a row (2024 and 2025) and even between the years it seems that there is more to offer. Plan to be there all day, especially if you have small children. There is so much for them to do, climb, and explore which is nice so you can enjoy your drink while they play. All the kids areas are secure too so you won't lose them or worry about them falling down the mountain. Our kids LOVE the slide and birdhouse climbing area. There's a stage for live entertainment close by which we really enjoyed. Lots of food options all over however we really enjoy the lookout mountain restaurant and you have to get ice cream for dessert afterwards. Transportation up the mountain is either by their Ridge Rambler (open bus with no windows so dress accordingly) or the skyline with both open and closed cars (runs really slowly and usually a LONG line). I highly recommend purchasing your tickets online in advance because even though that option is available, many do not opt for it and would rather stand in a VERY LONG line to purchase tickets and then get in line for the skyline. If you purchase in advance and opt to ride the bus like we do, wait time is very minimal and you can bypass most of the line which is a huge plus. (also, the waiting area is by 2 private restrooms in case you need to go before boarding). Even though it's busy, everything is so spread out that it's not crowded which is super nice. Plan to take a backpack to carry items as you will stay on the mountain and it's not easy to go back and forth to the car (could but will take time), plus, it's nice to have in case it's chilly and hot later so you can store clothing layers. Currently, Anakeesta is closed until March for remodels and they've shared ideas and things to come which all look like great additions. We can't wait to go again this fall 2026 to enjoy all the new amenities. Highly recommend for all ages!

Cool place. 50% of it isn't open this spring... no ski lift. No zip lining. Sky trek is half…read moreclosed. LOTS of stairs. Seriously LOTS. If mobility is limited, keep this in mind. Cool play areas for kids. Several dining options. Gem mining. Mountain coasters. Mountain coasters line is usually 20min longer than they say it is. Waiter will charge you $4 unexpectedly for a to-go cup for your drink. Feels like the kind of place where you end up being nickel and dimed. Wanted to love it but it's just ok.

Well to start the parking was 25.00 and we saw adds everywhere for the new ride( Night passage )…read morethis is one reason we went but we could not even find construction site for where it might be some day . We love the train and it was closed as well .

I grew up going to Disneyland since the 1980s. To me, that has always been the standard for…read moreamusement parks. Fast forward to 2026 and it was my first time coming out to Pigeon Forge to check out Dollywood as I was in town to participate in the inaugural Run Dollywood Half Marathon. Although I had a 2-day park ticket, I needed to save my legs for the race. Parking was $25, but thankfully, it was free for race participants and spectators. For both days, I didn't stay very long. It was raining the first day, so I mostly walked around to check everything out. It wasn't too large, but a decent size. Over the 2 days, I did go on 2 rides: Lightning Rod and Blazing Fury. The Lightning Rod was a pretty thrilling ride. They really do have you strapped in tight! The Blazing Fury was entirely indoors, kind of weird, and much more tame in comparison. Some other rides that I saw were Demolition Derby, Lemon Twist which was their version of Disney's Mad Tea Party, and The Amazing Flying Elephants which was their version of Disney's Dumbo. They had quite a few more rides. It was a good mixture of rides for the little ones as well as for the older thrill seekers. While they had a lot of fair type foods at various locations, I only made sure to visit the Grist Mill to try their famous cinnamon bread. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and I thought it was indeed worth it and lived up to the hype!

Goats on the Roof is ALWAYS a must do when we visit Pigeon Forge!! The mountain coaster is one of…read morethe best in PF and who doesn't love seeing the goats!!! We will be returning on our annual Memorial Day trip this year!!!

We had fun doing this experience, and it's super cheap. The bike that carries the food to goats…read morewas a little awkward for adults (you can't adjust the seat) but I had laughs. Inside they have touristy souvenirs, and outside there was a couple in a booth by the exit selling "timeshares that aren't timeshares" that felt a a little sketchy to me. My bf got caught in a convo with the man and he was fitting tmi questions in. How often are you here? What's your income back home? What's your job? The goats were cute, esp the babies. It was a nice spot to get hands on with animals.

I visited Ober Mountain in early January of this year and spent 2 days enjoyng activities…read more The first day consisted of participating in the fun pass, which gave us a list of activites we could do on the mountain like going to the zoo, ice skating, ice bumper cars, scenic lifts, etc. As an adult, the pass felt a little underwhelming but I can imagine a kid enjoying their time with this pass. I would recommend that you find a groupon/deal to get it at a cheaper rate rather than the usual $50/ticket they offer it for because I genuinely do not think it is worth the $50. I would definitely NOT recommend the fun pass for adults, but would for children (at the discounted price). Our second day on the mountain, we went snowboarding and that was a very fun time for my group and I. Ober has snow machines, so it is not real snow and instead is icy, artificial snow. I can imagine during the colder season, it may be softer and covered much more. I went in early January for reference. The employees are very nice with helping you strap in boots and understanding how to strap into board as well. I decided to do a lesson, which I would recommend for anyone who has not snowboarded before. Although I enjoyed my time, I do agree that it is fairly pricy, considering the size of the mountain compared to other resorts I have seen. I understand the weather determines which lifts are avaliable but the "snow" was ice, no where near snow texture. I think a day of snowboarding would cost roughly $150+ here for day pass and gear rental. My downsides for Ober are the price, the fun pass, and the snow.

We visited Ober Mountain and had a really fun and memorable experience as a family. We had already…read morepurchased our Fun Pass tickets, and redeeming/printing them at the kiosks was quick and easy. One of the highlights was riding the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway up and down the mountain--it was truly an experience in itself with amazing views. Once at the top, there was plenty to do. The kids loved the carousel and rode it multiple times every time we passed by. We also enjoyed the ice bumper cars, the wildlife habitat, and visiting Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. One of the most magical moments of the day was when it started snowing during our SkyLift ride--it was absolutely beautiful and something we won't forget. It was definitely very cold, but the scenery made it completely worth it. Unfortunately, the mountain coasters were closed due to the rain turning into snow, but there were still plenty of other activities to enjoy. The only thing I wish we had gotten to do was ice skating--the line and wait time were just too long before we had to leave. Overall, it was a very fun experience that everyone in our family enjoyed. We would definitely visit again!We visited Ober Mountain and had a really fun and memorable experience as a family. We had already purchased our Adventure Pass tickets, and redeeming/printing them at the kiosks was quick and easy. One of the highlights was riding the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway up and down the mountain--it was truly an experience in itself with amazing views. Once at the top, there was plenty to do. The kids loved the carousel and rode it multiple times every time we passed by. We also enjoyed the ice bumper cars, the wildlife habitat, and visiting Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. One of the most magical moments of the day was when it started snowing during our SkyLift ride--it was absolutely beautiful and something we won't forget. It was definitely very cold, but the scenery made it completely worth it. Unfortunately, the mountain coasters were closed due to the rain turning into snow, but there were still plenty of other activities to enjoy. The only thing I wish we had gotten to do was ice skating--the line and wait time were just too long before we had to leave. Overall, it was a very fun experience that everyone in our family enjoyed. We would definitely visit again!

i wanna say this was an amazing fun experiance. i came with my mother and son and had an amazing…read moretime. NATE and RYAN are seriously the coolest guys. so professional and nice. these 2 deserve a raise no matter how much they make. they made the experiance unforgetable and made us all feel safe as well. i would 1000% do this again and reccomend it to everyone. my son and I will be back. and i hope to see both ryan and nate again if possible. great job guys. you rock. -JT Travelers rest SC

If you have younger kids or novice adults the Nantahala River rapids are fun. Go to Tennessee for…read morethe class IV and V rapids.

As a local content creator here in Gatlinburg The Gatlinburg Hussey, I highly recommend going here…read moreand having a blast! I've lived here 30 years and it never gets old how amazing the views are from the Space Needle...An absolute must do while here in Gatlinburg

While in Gatlinburg we needed a family activity to do, so I went on Groupon and found a deal for 4…read moretickets for $32. You have to enter through the Arcadia arcade in order to get into the tower. Once we gave our Groupon voucher to the worker she advised us that we can ride the tower again the same day as long as we brought back our receipt. We entered the elevator and took it all the way to the top. When we got to the top deck it was a nice view with breeze. It's a spacious deck with a 360 view and that's about it lol. Great for photos and videos. Overall this was a good family activity for cheap. Once we were done we did play in the arcade at the bottom which is huge. I feel for $32 for a family of 4 it was worth every penny and you got a second ride out of it.